去人性化对群体内和群体间助人行为的影响：共情、社会责任和互惠可能性的作用

In the studies proposed, we will examine how the two forms of dehumanization, denying uniquely human attributes (UH, such as civility, higher cognition and emotion) and denying essentially human attributes (Human nature, HN, such as emotional responsiveness, warmth and cognitive flexibility), as postulated by Haslam (2006), would influence ingroup and outgroup helping. Based on the findings from previous studies, we hypothesize: a) The denial of ingroup members’ UH attributes would be positively associated with the level of perceived social responsiblity, leading to a strong intention to help them; b) The denial of ingroup members’ HN attributes would reduce emphathy towards them, thereby lowering individuals’ intention to help them; c) For outgroup members, the denial of either UH or HN attributions would diminish helping behaviors towards them, due to a low probability of reciprocation; d) when a superordinate identity is primed encompassing both ingroup and outgroup members, the effects of dehumanization on ingroup and ourgroup helping would converge. Specifically, individuals would be inclined to help those with high HN attributes and low UH attributes, through increased senses of empathy and social responsibility. Three series of experimental studies are designed to investigate these hypotheses. These studies will shed light on the influence of everyday dehumanization on prosical behaviors and provide a new prespective to interprete previous studies on social identity and helping. More importantly, by investigating real interactions between two social groups (i.e., Mainland and Hong Kong residents), the current studies will have significant implications for understanding and promoting intergroup helping in real life.

我们将通过三个系列的研究考察去人性化的两个方面，即否定人的独特属性（UH），比如复杂认知能力等和否定人的本质属性(HN)，比如情感回应能力等对群体内和群体间助人行为的影响，并考察共情、社会责任和互惠可能性在其中的作用。在已有研究的基础上，我们提出如下假设：1）相对于高UH的内群体成员，低UH的内群体成员会引发个体的社会责任感，从而增加对其的帮助倾向和行为；2）相对于低HN的内群体成员，高HN的内群体成员会引发个体更多的共情，从而促进对其的帮助倾向和行为；3）相对于其他的外群体成员，个体最倾向于帮助UH及HN均较高的外群体成员，因为其互惠的可能性最大；4）当一个包含所有成员的超身份被启动后，去人性化对群体内和群体间的助人行为的影响及其机制将趋于一致，即助人行为更少受互惠可能性的影响而更多受共情和社会责任的影响。此时，不管是内群体还是外群体成员，高HN，低UH均能引发更多的帮助。

本研究中，我们通过一系列实验和调查问卷，考察了与去人性化及亲社会行为相关的因素。此外，我们还考察了个体在人生意义感方面的体验，包括意义感的来源和有关意义感的想法，并且在意义感与亲社会行为间建立起联系。重要成果包括：1）将社会对象去人性化在一定程度上可以被看成是个体自身的不安全感或个体将社会对象当成工具使用的产物；2）当个体被去人性化后，将产生悲伤、羞愧和认知解构等反应；3）将社会对象去人性化增加个体对社会对象的攻击性，降低个体的亲社会行为倾向；4）物质主义与相对剥夺感相互促进，共同减少亲社会行为；5）中国人的人生意义感来源具有独特的文化因素，比如“文化修养”；6）人生意义感较高的，以及积极追求人生意义的个体展示出更多的亲社会行为。这些研究对于我们认识个体的目标追求与社会行为及身心健康之间的关系，具有重要的意义。在理论上，这些研究促进了去人性化和意义感理论的发展，已经对于亲社会行为的认识。从实践上来说，这些研究有助于我们制定方案，引导个体作出更多亲社会行为并促进个体及社会健康发展。